Sam Koch-Seward
Athlete A trail-blazing innovator, Sam Koch changed the way everyone in the football world looked at punting. While setting all major punting records for the Seward Bluejays, Nebraska Cornhuskers and Baltimore Ravens, the meticulous and hard-working Koch developed a wide repertoire of punts to adapt special-teams play according to the situation. Koch played multiple […]
Chris Kelsay-Auburn
Athlete Chris Kelsay made his mark year-round at Auburn High School, earning all-state honors as a junior and senior in football and basketball and winning medals at the state track meet. Playing defensive line, linebacker and tight end, he led Auburn to the state semifinals as a junior then recorded 142 tackles and 14 […]
Dennis Korinek-Ulysses
Athlete A standout small-school athlete, Dennis Korinek rewrote the state six-man record books. Playing halfback and defensive back, he earned all-state honors three times and led Ulysses to back-to-back undefeated seasons and a final No. 1 ranking his junior season. Combining rushing, passing, receiving and drop-kicking skills, he set state six-man career records for points […]
Gaylen Kamrath- David City
Coach Gaylen Kamrath- David City The cowboy boots, he left on the mat at the Omaha arena. Gaylen Kamrath had signified his retirement in 2011 after 33 successful seasons as David City’s wrestling coach. The Columbus native taught two years at Monroe before coming to David City as head track coach and an assistant in […]
Dominique Kelley- Lincoln Northeast
Athlete Dominique Kelley- Lincoln Northeast The state’s Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year as a senior, Dominique Kelley-Johnson was the cornerstone of the Lincoln Northeast’s basketball program that compiled a 70-3 record over a 3-year period as she scored 1,535 points. Combining strength and quickness that made her a defensive stopper, she led the Rockets […]
Max Kurz-Millard West
Coach Max Kurz’s 47-year coaching career was dotted by championships. As a boys cross country and track coach and a girls cross country coach at Millard, Millard South and Millard West, his teams won three state championships, finished second nine times and in the top four 21 times. His boys track team claimed one state […]
Richard Knaub-Scottsbluff
Scottsbluff (Class of 1954) The Nebraska High School Athlete of the Year in 1954, Knaub was a four-year letterman in track and a two-year letterman in football and basketball, earning all-conference and all-state honors. On the track, he established three state records and won all-class gold medals in the pole vault his sophomore and junior […]
Kerry Karst – Lincoln East
Athlete The Lincoln Journal-Star athlete of the year in 1978 and a two-time all-class all-state girls basketball player, she was a junior starter when Lincoln East won the first Class A girls state championship in 1977. In volleyball, she was all-state as a senior, helping the Spartans to the 1978 Class A title. In track, […]
Don Knauss – Gering/Omaha
Coach. A 30-year basketball coaching career started in Gering in 1957, continued (in 1966) for 15 years at Omaha Benson and finished with five years with Omaha Central’s girls. He was 118-51 at Gering, 199-98 at Benson with six district titles, two state tournament runner-up finishes, seven Metropolitan Conference championships and four Metro Holiday titles. […]
Nile Kinnick – Omaha Benson
Athlete–One of the most nationally known of all Omaha high school graduates, this Benson High product (Class of 35) became a football legend. His athletic skills were abundantly clear, for he starred in track & field, was named all-state in football and helped Benson nearly reach the top in Class A basketball. Attending college at […]
